Stress= School

Apparently a new survey shows that children starting school are getting stressed about it up to six months before they start. Stressed? Really? Is a four year old capable of carrying the worries and anxieties that we relate to the word stressed- that thing that makes us ill when we don't sort it out. I'd say it was accurate to say some of them are anxious- and why wouldn't they be, they've been told by their parents it's soon their turn to go to 'the big school'. I was the most anxious child you've ever met. I didn't speak throughout the whole of preschool and infants- that's four years, too scared to walk confidently into school or answer the register. But I wouldn't say I was particularly stressed- not before starting anyway. I think children can build up a fear or hatred towards it once they've attended if they dislike it but for so many to be 'stressed' 6 months before they start I'm not really convinced. Now if you want to stress kids out before school you should spend three hours the morning that they're starting taking photos of them. As you can see in this picture Simon looks less than impressed at starting his final year at St Peter's and it's probably because he's been stood there for ages while dad gets it just right- now that's stress! And also- if they think the kids are stressed, they should look at the teachers!!

Holidays, parties, thoughts and silence

Once again, I seem to have got behind on my postings recently. I always seem to have so much to say about everything and the number of conversations about life changing opinions I've had in the last week has left so many questions and theories out in the open. So why is it when I sit in front of a computer they all go out of my mind! I have just had a fantastic 4 days in Rome though with some friends from Durham, followed by a graduation party for myself and Martyn at home. I am now, however, back at home for good (well until October anyway) and I'm sure a few days back in Wigan will be enough to have as many useless posts as usual going up instead of the rare silence of Maria from the past few weeks!

Cross Cultures Accepted

Generally speaking, I like to moan about the English and American cultures crossing over- it comes from my need of perfection of English grammar and spelling with a year spent in Finland listening to everyone's American English presentations, regardless of where in the world they were from. But just once in a while when I realise I was wrong I will back down and apologise- and this is one of those moments- so make the most of it! In a post about school back in February, I was aghast when one of the kids I was working with told me he'd been playing baseball the night before. As I said at the time- who plays baseball in the UK?!? Rounders, yes, but baseball?? Last night my little brother showed me (well, more accurately, my mum decided it was time I learn) how to play on his wii. So I was competing against Simon at tennis, golf, bowling and...baseball. It suddenly dawned on me that this is where the kids get it from- and more than likely they weren't playing real baseball (like we did rounders- back in the day ;-)) but were playing on the wii, which in itself is American English. Never one to pass up an opportunity to make some comment though- what on earth does 'spare' mean in bowling?? We have strike if you knock them all down in one go, and if it takes you two go's then its a 'half-strike'- that makes sense. Where does 'spare' come from for a half-strike and just generally why??

Ann Widdecombe vs Prostitution

On Wednesday I sat down in front of the tv specifically to watch a program- which is quite unusual for me these days. The program of interest was 'Ann Widdecombe vs. prostitution'. I don't know why I wanted to watch it, maybe it was H House's fascination over Ann Widdecombe this year, or maybe it was just the ethical issue at hand but something made me note that on Wednesday at 10pm I should switch on. And I can honestly say I spent the next half an hour irritated. The MP spent the whole time running around the streets shouting at girls saying that they were ruining the living areas for their neighbours. She accosted them as they came out of the police station and told them that they should go home to their mothers or they'd end up cut up in plastic bags like the victim who's mother came to explain her story to them, and she said that no one wants to be on the streets- they do it only for drugs and so everyone should go home and sort out that and prostitution would cease to be a problem. Maybe it's because of my theology background that refuses to believe in black and white situations, and also that I don't believe for one moment that attacking it in such a way is going to bring an end to one of the worlds oldest professions, but I sat there thinking- you haven't once considered the background- the real background- to any of these girls. You haven't considered why they do it, how much of a 'victim' they really are and whether or not they want to give up. It's good money, tax free, by all accounts- why should they give it up? And on that note this weeks is on benefit frauds, where apparently, Ann gives the sound advice of 'get a job'! I rarely get involved or have any interest with politics and it's at programs like this where I remember why...

Confused by the Rain

This post has taken me so long to put up I can't find the link to the article anymore, but it made me smile so I'm just going to talk about it anyway! I only half saw the review on the news so I can't go into a great amount of detail but apparently some owls were brought over to the UK 9 years ago and are kept in the zoo. The owls only mate though, during the monsoon season and so there have been no new 'baby' (?) owls since they were moved here...none that is until this year. Yes, apparently, all the rain we've had this summer has confused the owls into believing that it's the monsoon season and so the zoo have been celebrating their first ever baby owlings. I can't help but wonder if it's cruel to bring over owls that only mate during the monsoon season when we don't get such weather. Either that, or create a monsoon for them in the conditions they live in- but don't get me started on zoo's and the rights of animals or I'll start talking about that lion in Finland again!!!

A*

This post is a bit late going up, but is worth not missing out altogether....the New A level. I missed the A* being introduced into GCSE's- by quite a few years. But I remember discussions about it between my mum and piano teacher (who was doing her GCSE's) and yet today it's accepted that there should be A*'s. They're on about bringing them in for A levels now. But where as it used to be 60%= C 70%= D and 80%= A they're now saying that anyone receiving 90% or over will get an A*. I wonder if it's me, slogging my guts out to get my A in RE that makes me go- but that undermines all the A's before. It's true results have changed. My dad got into med school with 3 B's which wouldn't get you anywhere near medicine today. But even so, I think the whole point of A levels, means that yuo should be aiming for the A. Also- it means the top universities are going to push even further. It's not enough to get onto some courses in Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, Warwick today with 4 A's. You also need to prove that you've gone above and beyond. Now they're going to push to only take A* students (plus extra curriculur) and...I just think it's going to become even more elitist. YET the government are bringing in all these new A levels, and shouting at the universities for not taking people on from all backgrounds. It's going to be interesting.... (article here)

Diana/Camilla Feud

At the end of this month the nation will be remembering Diana, Princess of Wales at her ten year anniversary. That makes me feel old! It's one of those moments that everyone remembers what they were doing when they heard that Diana had died. Brought up a Roman Catholic in England I guess we were kept away from royalism to a certain degree but I can remember my mum teaching us the family and who was who and who would become who, when walking home from primary school. Yesterday I had a tv programme on in the background while I was working who were discussing whether or not Camilla should be at this service for Diana. Camilla always was the 'other woman' and the nation, who loved Diana, hated Camilla. Over the years though they have come to accept her and are, I would say, happy for Charles now that he seems settled and content with his life. Charles has requested that Camilla be at the service for Diana but many have said it would be seen in bad taste. The opinions on this show I was watching were varied but I have to agree with one of the comments that surely it's up to the boys to decide if they want her there. Someone said it was unfair to put this burden on the boys and they might not feel like they can say no to her but they are 24 and 22 years old, William is heir to the throne, I don't see that if they say to Camilla- this day is about our mother, we'd rather you weren't there, that she'd (or has the right to) be offended. Or that if they say- please come with our father, that the nation should then create uproar because they don't want to see her there. Maybe it is the Catholic in me that says why has it got anything to do with us what happens? Or maybe it's just the right to privacy I believe people should have. But shouldn't Diana's memorial service be first and foremost for her sons- and anything offered to the nation, is offered as a remembrance to pay personal respect- not to judge who should and shouldn't be able to pay their own respect and support to the royal family.

Tradition vs Modernity

1st July saw the smoking ban enforced in England, last to act in the British Isles with Wales, Scotland and Ireland already adhering to the rules. No longer is anyone allowed to smoke in a public space. It's amazing actually the difference it makes. The other day Martyn made a comment that everyone at home seems to smoke. I think Durham was quite unique in the fact that I could name on one hand the number of friends I have who smoke in Durham. And maybe it is just that the crowd we know at home are those that we work with who practically all smoke, and are less than impressed at the new ban. One of the guys from work did say that he smokes a lot less now that he has to go outside for it than he used to- so maybe it is deterring people away. But the response to Martyn's comment was 'of course', Wigan's a traditional mining town and along with the stereotype of any English Northern town comes the heavy drinkers and smokers. It is true though, however much the 'class' system seems to be merging in the UK you can definitely still see the roots of the town affecting the way life is lived around here. And it got me thinking about- when was the last time Wigan actually was a mining town? When were the mills up and running and not just converted into their current day usage? How long ago was it that Wigan Pier was used for the barges to bring coal up the canal as we used to learn about in history at school? And yet although life is no longer like that the lifestyle is still there, it's hard to lose. Does that mean that the smoking is never going to be lost from a town like Wigan? We seem to be in a changing culture over the last couple of decades, increasingly aware about the environment through climate change, and global warming, and our own health such as STD/I's and the effects of drugs/alcohol/tobacco. But all this awareness- will it actually change the way in which life is lived or will the identity of a town, clung onto by locals despite not working in the town that fits that identity- continue the tradition, regardless of what the rest of the country is doing?